Overhead structure for electric railways.



7N0. 729,826 PATENTED JUNEZ, 1903.

B. WILLARDL OVERHEAD STRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. APPL-IOATION'EILEDFEB. 25. 1899.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESE E5. INVENTEIR- Q-W%% fl- BM -Lumen.

Fatented June 2, 1903.-

FFTQE.

PATENT BEN WILLARD, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OVERHEADSTRUCTURE oe ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,826, dated June 2,1903.

Application filed February 25, 1899. Serial No- 706.778. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BEN WILLARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Orleans, parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Overhead Structures forElectrio Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the overhead structures of electricrailways, and is useful more particularly in that class of roads whichutilize large currents for the operation of electric locomotives ormotor-cars. Difficulty has arisen with such roads because the ordinarytrolley-wire is insufficient to carry the required current. Some formsof overhead structure have been used in which a sliding shoe has beenemployed as the trolley, running in a box-like structure of iron.

This, however, is costly and unsightly. I.

propose to replace such devices by utilizing a number of ordinarytrolley-wires connected in multiple with a trolley which will alwaysmake contact with all of the wires. Inasmuch as it is difficult tostringthe wires so that the catenaries are identical even with theutmost care, and as under service conditions wires stretch to differentdegrees, I have provided a certain amount of flexibility in both thesupportingstructure and the trolley.

My invention consists in providing ears for the wires, which areconnected to their supports by loose ball-and-socket or equivalentjoints, whereby each wire is free to move sidewise or vertically for alimited distance at the points of suspension.

The drawings show a convenient application of the invention, Figure 1being an elevation of a post with two sets of trolley-wires connectedaccording to the invention, showing a trolley running upon one of them.Fig.

2 is an enlar ed view artl in section of.

one of the sets of trolley-wires.

In Fig. 1, A is a post, of which B is the cross arm. O O are the sets oftrolley-wires supported by sleeve 0, adjustable to a proper positionupon the cross-arm. D is the trolley. The construction will be betterunderstood from Fig. 2. In this figure,O O are the sleeves 0 the latterbeing of the well-known capand-eoneconstruction, in accordance with 'thepatent to Thomson, No. 435,870. The

bolt 0 supports a thimble O.

The lower part of this is compressed in a cup around the shank of amechanical ear F, which supports one of the trolley-wires E E E whilethe shank of the ear is formed at F into a hemisphere, so that with thecup-shaped portion of the thimble C it forms a ball-and-socket joint. Alittle space 0 is left above the ear,

so that the joint may have not only a rocking motion in any directionnecessary, but may lift slightly, if desired. In thisway the threewires, being supported so thattheymay either move slightly sidewise orlift under the pres sure of the trolley, will practically be all incontact at all times in spite of inequalities of tension or of the shapeof the catenaries or of unequal wear in the trolley-wheels.

It will be observed in Fig. 1 that the trolley-wheels have somehorizontal play along their axes, and this gives increased flexibility,by which the following ofthe wireis greatly facilitated. 8 5

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, 'is- 1. Aconductor-supporiywhich comprises a suitably supported and insulatedthimble, 0 having a contracted opening, and an ear having an enlargedportion mounted within the thimble for free lateral and vertical movebetween the two adapted to permit relative ment, and adapted to receivethe conductor. vertical movement. 1o

2. The combination with a, supporting-ear In witness whereof I havehereunto set my for the conducting-wire, of a fixed insulator, hand this20th day of February, 1899.

5 and a ba11-and-socket joint between the ear BEN WILLARD.

and the insulator. Vitnesses:

3. The combination With a supporting-ear, W. H. KECK,

of a, fixedinsu1ator,and a baH-and-sooket joint LOUIS EBERT.

